


He Loves You

by prettyface_lonelyheart



Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: Drama & Romance, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-26
Updated: 2017-03-28
Packaged: 2018-10-10 22:08:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 20,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10448622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prettyface_lonelyheart/pseuds/prettyface_lonelyheart
Summary: Battling with self-esteem and memories of war, an Easy Company nurse who's had her eyes on Shifty Powers may finally get what she's been waiting for.





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Due to the serious lack of Shifty stories, I give you this! Although this is categorized as "Explicit", there are no smutty parts with the exception of the 5th and 10th chapters.
> 
> Also, the character "Sarah" is based on a friend of mine. She is smart, funny, and she is, in fact, Jewish. She is the type of person who makes inappropriate jokes sometimes and pokes fun at Jewish stereotypes. I wanted to write her as I know her and wanted to make this clear so as to not sound anti-Semitic. I mean absolutely no disrespect to the victims held in concentration camps, such as the one in Landsberg, mentioned here. 
> 
> I used blockquotes and italics for flashbacks, since I'm still figuring out how to format things.

Sarah stepped out of the bathroom, warm vapors seeping from the open door. She was wrapped in a towel while drying her short, wavy brown hair with another.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" I asked, not taking my eyes off the dark blue sky.

"What?" she wondered.

She opened her bag and got some fresh clothes out, tossing them on the bed and tightening the latch.

"Hot shower," I leaned back on the headboard.

We've already left the Ardennes forest and are getting settled here in Zell Am See. It's the first time in years since we've had hot showers and warm food.

"Yeah, finally," she pulled her green tank top on and plopped down on the bed next to mine.

We'd picked a room on the third floor of one of the deserted buildings miles in front of Hitler's Eagles Nest.

Despite there being more rooms on this floor, the rest were unoccupied.

Major Winters told the men that if any of them were going to room in the same building as Sarah and I, they had to be on separate stories.

I guess when we were all in foxholes, there wasn't much of a choice since he was concerned enough to put at least one armed man with each of us. Plus, it seemed like a better idea to spread out the medics and nurses.

Of course, Sarah stayed with Joseph Liebgott.

Ever since we were at the party which officially marked us as paratroopers, they've been flirting here and there throughout the war. As much as they tried to hide it, I was certain the entire company (maybe save for the replacements) knew they had something going on between them. 

I suppose at the time, our officers simply dismissed it as a friendship. Both of them were Jewish and got along great, same sense of humor and everything. 

I believe I shared my foxhole with Talbert. I may have moved at least once though. If it sounds like I don't remember, it's because I'm still trying to block it out of my memory.

So much shit happened in Bastogne that I'd rather not relive... ever. I wouldn't wish it on my own enemy, either. 

It's hard to explain but those events are clear as day to me now, while at the same time, it's also a blur. 

Anyway, I'm sure they figured something was up with Sarah and Joe since we're not neighboring any of the guys.

In the midst of silence, I rolled over to face her bed. "How are you and Joe holding up?"

For a few minutes, she didn't say anything. I didn't expect her to, but she's still my best friend and considering what we saw and learned at Landsberg, I knew they were going to be affected the most.

"I'm okay," she sighed.

From my peripheral vision, I noticed she was wiping a tear from her cheek.

"I'm sorry," I immediately felt awful for bringing it up.

They both looked as if they were coping well with it.

After a sniff, it sounded like her voice returned back to normal.

"Really, Y/F/N. I'm fine," she reassured. "Thank you."

I knew ever since we landed in Normandy, she was a warrior. From then on, she's done nothing but prove she was resilient and spunky. There were times like now that she let herself feel the wave of emotions outwardly, but that doesn't make her weak by any means. Especially after seeing two of the toughest guys in Easy each having one leg blown off and a handful or other casualties, no one ever thought less of each other for expressing grief and devastation.

"See, you're so caring, Y/F/N," she switched the lamp off, leaving us in total darkness with the exception of the ivory glow of the moon casting itself through the balcony doors left ajar. "No wonder, Shifty-"

"Shifty nothing!" I cut her off loudly.

She laughed and grabbed at my shoulder, trying to get me to turn on my other side to look at her. This was usually how our conversations went. It's serious one minute, and the next, she's doing one of two things: eagerly bringing out the penis jokes or ragging on someone.

I pulled the blanket over my head when I heard her scoff. "Come oooon, Y/F/N! Just face the facts!"

"What facts?" I rolled my eyes. "'Facts' are not perceptions of an interaction between two people."

Not long after, I felt a sudden thump of something hitting my covered head followed by the sound of the object landing on the floor.

"Ow!" I threw the covers off.

But upon seeing her surprised reaction, I burst into a fit of laughter. She looked like a statue that was shown The David's crotch from out of the blue.

Soon after, she doubled over and started laughing too, landing on my bed. "Did that really hurt?"

Now at that point of laughing so hard that no sound came out, I shook my head and calmed myself down.

"No, but it startled me! You should've seen your face. You were like—" I wiped a tear from my eye and mimicked her expression, putting us in hysterics again.

"Hey!" someone hissed from the balcony.

Our heads immediately jolted in that direction to see none other than Joseph Liebgott hanging from the side railing, his face pressed between the black bars.

"Can I come in?" he asked quietly. 

I gotta hand it to him. By looking at his slender frame and gawky appearance overall, you wouldn't think he was capable of such a feat.

Sarah and I met eyes, contemplating on whether or not to let him in our room.

However he was already hoisting himself on the platform and swinging his legs over the rail.

"Ah, screw it," he dragged his boots across the floor, so as to not make too much noise.

I stood up and looked over at Sarah. 

"Take your time," I told her in an understanding tone and headed for the door.

I always left whenever they were together. Couldn't stand being the third wheel back home, couldn't stand it here.

"Relax, Y/L/N, I'm not here for that," he lazily crawled across Sarah's bed, stretching across her lap and resting his head on one of her pillows.

"Yeeeah, that doesn't make it any better," I rolled my eyes and turned the knob.

"I guess I'll have to tell him about you and you-know-who!" Sarah teased.

"Tell him whatever you want. We're just friends," I firmly declared.

"Who? Shifty?" Liebgott yawned.

"Oh my God!" I groaned a little too loudly and darted my gaze to him. "We're just friends, Lieb!" 

"Yeah? I didn't know 'friends' gave gifts like lockets," he folded his hands under his head.

I instinctively put my hand over the silver locket hidden underneath my t-shirt. It was the kind of reaction he was looking for, since I saw a smirk etched across one side of his face.

"You really didn't think he only saw you as a friend, did you?" Sarah asked.

I made my way back to my bed and sat down, feeling the locket bounce lightly over my chest. It was like my heart thumping whenever I looked into his almond-shaped, doe eyes or when the ends of his lips perked up into his cheeks to reveal a radiant smile. Well, except it feels like a hundred beats per minute instead of just one.

"Maybe more? I don't know...," I shrugged. "But I know for sure he would never feel the same way."

"Will you stop with that crap, Y/L/N?" Lieb pulled a lighter out from a side pocket on his jumpsuit, a cigarette now dangling between his lips.

He lit it and inhaled, breathed a cloud of smoke, and continued. "You don't know that. Only he knows how he feels."

Sarah took the cigarette from between his fingers and took a drag. "What makes you think that anyway?"

They were both looking at me now, waiting for my response. Her other hand was over his hair, her middle, ring and pinky finger dug through his dark coif. While one arm acted as a pillow, holding his head up, the other was now hanging across her back, his hand resting over her shoulder.

If only I could have that with him.

"Because I'm ugly and I'm fat. And he'd much rather prefer someone like Sarah," I admitted dejectedly. 

"Someone like me?" she raised her eyebrows, forming lines on her forehead.

"Yeah. Someone who's also from Virginia and loves nature," I looked at the sky.

It took me back to when I was huddled with Shifty in a foxhole on Christmas night. He talked to me about his camping trips back home that he went on with his family.

> _"Ever been camping before?" he wondered._
> 
> _"Sadly no," I frowned._
> 
> _Surely he would've loved someone who has just as much nature running through their veins as he does._
> 
> _"I would take you," he said shyly._
> 
> _I blushed. I'm not an outdoorsy person, but I won't say no to that._
> 
> _"We have to settle on this for now," I forced a smile and looked at the walls of our foxhole. "Just wish we had a fire going."_
> 
> _His arm slithered around my shoulders and pulled me closer to his body._
> 
> _Is this really happening?_
> 
> _"It's not much, but I hope it helps," he said to me._
> 
> _I turned my head towards him. He was actually looking at me now and our noses were barely touching._
> 
> _"It.... definitely does," I muttered while looking at his lips and back into his eyes._

Ever since we were at Holland, I knew I loved him more than just a friend. 

We're both the shy and sweeter ones in Easy. It was a bonus that he didn't seem bothered by my lack of grace and social confidence. The other guys—although they might mean well—teased me for it or didn't understand that I can't "just get out there".

"First of all, I'm from Georgia. I only went to school in Virginia," Sarah corrected before passing the cigarette back to Joe. 

I gave her an 'okay, close enough' look.

"Second," she continued. "It's no secret you're both comfortable in each others' silence. I see the way he looks at you and so does everyone else. Everyone knows." 

"In fact, Joe's around him more. See what he thinks," her eyes dropped to her boyfriend on her lap, who was half asleep by now.

"Yeah, yeah... he probably wants you against a tree or something. I don't know," he groggily said.

This made Sarah fall back on her bed laughing into her hands. 

"Okay, get out before I get Major Winters," I said in disbelief, rolling my eyes and pointing to the balcony. 

Once he left, I turned my attention to Sarah. "Okay, really? You two are just..."

"The best?" she smugly asked, repositioning herself to where Joe had been.

"Yeah, that's it," I sarcastically said. "And Jewish, so his family's gonna love the hell outta you."

She told me how Joe wanted to bring her back to San Francisco to meet his family. It makes me wonder if Shifty would ask me to return to the states with him. 

"Which is good because maybe they won't mind when I'm reading his scroll with my tongue while they're downstairs preparing Matzo."

"Gross," I shook my head and smiled big.

"Talk to him tomorrow, okay?" she pleaded.

"Yeah, I will," I said before dozing off.

I will.


	2. Part 2

"General Taylor is aware that many veterans—including Normandy veterans—still do not have the eighty-five points required to be discharged," Speirs stated. "On this, the anniversary of D-day, he has authorized a lottery to send one man home from each company. Effective immediately."

Tab approached Harry Welsh with the helmet that was to contain the names of everyone in the company, who then passed it to Speirs.

"For Easy Company, the winner is... Serial number 13066266: Sergeant Darrell C. Powers," Speirs announced, drawing out the last name.

I grinned cheerily and clapped as Shifty broke out his big, white smile. 

The men applauded beside me.

"That's how it's done, Shifty!" Luz whooped.

Earlier today, Perco and Liebgott spread the word to Sarah and I what Shifty told them when they were out hunting with Bull and Malarkey: he was fifteen points short and had no Purple Hearts, having never been injured. They hatched a plan to only have one slip be drawn that had Shifty's name on it.

We owed it all to him, honestly. We owed him for us being able to maybe, one day, see the end of this war. He saved us on numerous occasions with his sharp shots behind an M1.

All of this was worth it, though—seeing the bonds we've formed with each other and showing our gratefulness to one another in such a way that only we could ever know.

Sarah elbowed me on my side, causing me to look at her.

"Hey!" I hissed, not wanting to call attention to us.

She tilted her head towards the platform in which Shifty, Grant, and Christenson stood.

I switched my attention to Shifty. He coyly bit his lip and gave me a small smile. 

I mouthed "congratulations". I couldn't be happier for him.

—

It wasn't long until the reality hit us.

Unfortunately, those of us who weren't eligible to return home were to be deployed to the Pacific Theater.

I was crying to Sarah about this. There was no way I can go through this hell again. Not after seeing Skip and Penkala get hit in their foxhole. Not after Buck had his breakdown upon seeing the two toughest guys, Guarnere and Toye, on the ground with one leg each having been blown off. Certainly not after seeing the sunken and desperate eyes of the concentration camp prisoners in Landsberg whilst they clung helplessly to us—their saviors.

She hugged me and patted my back, telling me that if I was strong enough to survive now, I surely can get through the Pacific. I wasn't so sure if she even believed it as much as I didn't.

"Oh my God," Sarah gently pushed me off. "Y/F/N, Shifty's coming."

I frantically looked to the distance to confirm this.

He was dressed in his khaki uniform, holding his cap, his eyes on the ground then the greenery surrounding us. His gaze finally landed on me.

 _Shit_ , I thought. My hair was a mess, my eyes red and cheeks stained with tears. I quickly stood up and straightened my skirt out, wiped any remaining tears that had fallen from my eyes, and fixed my hair. I glanced at Sarah. She gave me an encouraging nod, sending me to meet him halfway.

Once we were a foot or so apart, he looked down and scratched the back of his head.

"So this is it, huh?" I awkwardly began.

"I, uh... I just wanted to say goodbye," he told me in his sweet, southern accent.

My throat felt lumpy. I swore I was going to start crying again, but I didn't want him to feel bad for leaving us. He needed to be home again, away from all of this.

Luckily, I managed to keep myself together. I hugged him and took in the scent of his aftershave.

"I'm really going to miss you, Shifty," I said into his shirt collar.

"I'll miss you too," the forlorn tone of his voice just made this all the more real. "I'll-I'll miss all the men... but I'll, you know, I'll miss you more."

My heart started racing, so I broke from his embrace and looked at him. "I hope you don't forget about me one day."

"Now what makes you think that, doll?" he wondered, running his thumb over the patch on his cap.

"Because I'm..." I sighed. "I'm nothing special."

"Would I do this to someone who... who isn't special?" he asked.

"Do wh—" I was in the middle of saying.

He brushed my bang behind my ear with his fingers and closed his eyes a little before leaning in to put his lips on mine.

My eyes widened before closing as I draped my hands on his shoulders.

We pulled away and took our hands off each other quickly, looking around us to make sure no one else had seen us.

He meant the world to me, but that doesn't mean I'm willing to get dishonorably discharged.

Thankfully, our only spectator was still just Sarah.

"You'll make a great nurse over there, you know," he held my hands now. "And remember you won't lose me, ever. I'll still be here for you. Maybe not beside you, but always behind you."

I teared up and nodded. "Now I have no doubt in my mind."

With one last kiss on my cheek, he let me go. "I'll see you again, Y/F/N."

I sniffed. "Goodbye, Shifty."

—

My optimism could only last for so long. In fact, these past two days was the ultimate record.

While I was enjoying the view of the Austrian slopes in the distance, someone knocked on my door.

"Come in," I called, not taking my eyes off the horizon.

"Y/F/N," I heard the familiar voice of Major Winters at the door.

I immediately stood at attention. "Yes, sir?"

"I got some bad news and some good news," he closed the door behind him and took a few steps to the center of the room.

I was in full panic mode internally, but kept my composure. "Concerning the deployment, sir?"

"Not this time, Y/F/N," he twisted his mouth into a straight line, as if to prevent the words from slipping out before contemplating the delivery. "It's about Shifty."

I stayed silent and gulped, waiting for the explanation. 

Major Winters took a deep breath. "The truck he was on was hit by a drunken corporal from another regiment. He sustained a broken pelvis, a broken arm, and a bad concussion."

A whispered "no" was all I could muster. 

"The good news is that he survived, however, he'll need to spend some time in the hospital before he could head back overseas."

"Oh thank God," I could hear my own voice break, my hand over my mouth.

I still wanted to kick that corporal's ass. 

"I thought you should be the first to know," Winters cleared his throat. "I know how close you are to Shifty."

"Thank you, sir," I exhaled and nodded.

—

"Can I help you?" a blonde nurse with a clipboard came into the waiting room.

"Hi, I'm here to see Sh—" I stopped and corrected myself. "I mean, Sergeant Powers."

"First name?" she lifted the sheet of paper up and scanned her clipboard.

"Darrell," I replied.

"Follow me," she said tiredly and led me out into a long hallway and to a room on the left.

I thanked her and slipped through the doorway.

My eyes zeroed in on the bed backed up against the wall across from me.

I figured that since he was asleep right now, I’d just leave him a note or something.

I lightly dragged my feet across the tile floor so my heels wouldn't click and make too much noise.

I sat in the chair next to him and smiled sorrowfully. Despite the plaster covering the broken arm resting across his stomach and the bandage over a big bruise on his forehead, his expression remained tranquil. Not happy, but at ease.

Keeping my eyes on his face, I traced my fingertips over the back of his good hand.

"I love you," I mumbled before taking my hand away and reaching for my knapsack.

Using my journal as a flat surface to write on, I put a piece of military stationary on top and started my note.

> _Shifty,_
> 
> _It's Y/F/N. I came to visit you in the hospital while you were asleep and I wanted to tell you a few things before I go. ___

____

__" Y/F/N?"_ _

__I looked up from the page to see his eyes open._ _

__"Shifty," I held his hand again._ _

__"W-What're you doing here?" he groggily asked. "You really came all this way just to see me?"_ _

__"I did," I told him, feeling my cheeks heat up._ _

__"Why?" he tried to get up, but I put my hand over his shoulder._ _

__"You need to rest," I told him as I set my things on the table next to me._ _

__"No, I'm fine... really," he sat up and leaned towards me. "Why'd you come here?"_ _

__The words came easier this time. "Because I love you."_ _

__I looked down at the bed, afraid of what he might say next._ _

__"I love you too."_ _

__I swear I couldn't have been happier. Someone actually loved me. Not only that but loved me back._ _

__I went in to kiss his mouth, but bumped my forehead with his._ _

__"Ow," I put my middle finger and thumb on my head and covered my face with my hands. "God, why am I such an idiot?"_ _

__I heard him chuckle. "If being an idiot means being adorable, then I agree. You are an idiot."_ _

__I giggled like a nervous schoolgirl, having just the back of one hand to my lips now. Why did he do this to me?_ _

__"Are you done training?" he wondered._ _

__"Oh, you didn't hear?" I moved myself so I was sitting across from him on his bed. "The war's over."_ _

__His jaw dropped and his eyes widened a bit. "That so?"_ _

__I was in tears, nodding. "It's true. The Japanese surrendered, so we're all going home regardless of how many points we have. Well, technically, everyone already went home, except me."_ _

__"Means I can visit you sooner," he perked. "Or you can come back to Virginia with me first!"_ _

__"What if your family doesn't like me?" I pulled at my collar._ _

__I was nervous just thinking about it._ _

__"Nonsense," he kissed my hand. "I told them all about you already and they said they can't wait to meet you."_ _

__I mentioned Shifty in my letters back home, but only subtly. Call it paranoia, but I didn't want the letters to end up in the wrong hands and get me kicked off the Airborne._ _

__"Good," was all I managed to respond._ _

__Seriously, why was I so inept at conversation?_ _

__He didn't seem to mind though._ _

__I checked the time above the door._ _

__"Shit, I only have fifteen minutes left," I groaned and looked back at him. "There's more I wanted to tell you."_ _

__He tipped his head sideways to the table where I left my journal. "You can just write it down and leave it with me. I always love to read what you write."_ _

__It was true. David Webster and I were the writers in Easy Company. He mostly wrote in his journal and kept it to himself. I started doing the same, but occasionally, I showed what I wrote to the two people I was closest with: Sarah and Shifty. Sometimes when I wrote, Shifty peered over my shoulder and I would cover the page, playfully whining at him that it wasn't done yet or that I was on the last line. He always complimented my work, even if it was hastily written poems that an eight-year-old could've thought up._ _

__I crossed out the first sentence I wrote and jotted down what came to mind, filling him in on what happened since his departure. I mentioned Janovec's accident at the crossroads checkpoint, Grant getting shot in the head by an I Company replacement, the manhunt for the fleeing replacement that ensued shortly after Grant was taken in for care, and the men's baseball game I watched from the sidelines before we parted ways. I ended the letter with my contact information._ _

__"Okay, Shift, I think that should be it," I said to him._ _

__When I looked up, he was lying down, dozing off._ _

__I smiled and opened my locket. I took out my half of the photo, closed the letter with "Until Next Time", signed my name, and stuck my picture next to it with tape._ _

__I folded the letter in fours, slipped it in his coat pocket, and gave him a light kiss on the cheek. "I love you, Shifty."_ _

__I swung my knapsack across my back and looped my arms through the straps before leaving the hospital and getting into the Jeep that will take me to the ship headed back home._ _


	3. Part 3

"Y/F/N, there's something in the mail for you!" my aunt called from downstairs.

Probably a reminder for my next dentist appointment or something, I thought.

"Who from?" I asked while dusting the furniture.

"It's from a certain 'Sergeant Powers'."

As soon as I heard this, the 'clack' of the feather duster must've startled her when it hit the floor, followed by my hasty trudging down the springy, wooden staircase.

It was set aside for me on the kitchen table while Aunt Carla was reading through some postcards.

I snatched it up and ran my thumb over the handwritten address. I tore open the faded, yellow envelope and took the contents out, the sound of his voice coming back to me as I read the letter silently. 

He was finally home and fully healed. He told me how he thought of me and how I was readjusting to civilian life. He still wanted to bring me home to meet his family and even said his mother had brought up the idea while he was having her homemade chocolate pie. 

" _Two things that give me joy—mama's chocolate pie and hearing your name_ ," he wrote. 

I grinned and blushed as I reread that line.

"I think I know who that's from," I heard my aunt's singsong voice as I put the paper back in the envelope.

"Yes, from Sergeant Powers," I jokingly said.

She put the rest of the mail down and came closer to me. "Is that who I think it is?"

I nodded and smiled deeply. "He's exactly who I was telling you about all those years."

I explained everything to her.

I've lived with my aunt since I was ten and she's become a mother figure to me ever since. I told her everything and she's comforted me through tough times. I wouldn't be as strong as I am if it weren't for her.

"You should go see him!" Carla exclaimed excitedly.

"You think so? I mean, I just got home," I looked down at the address again.

"Certainly! Just make sure he comes back with you," she laughed.

"I know you'll love him," I beamed.

—

I stood in the distance in front of the red brick Ranch home adorned with an L-shaped white deck. The area took up ten acres on a flattened hilltop, the slopes beside and under the house resembling green waterfalls. 

I took note of the evergreen trees gathered on top the hill above me. Somewhere within those trees is where Shifty and his father hunted for squirrels before the war. 

Taking a deep breath, I made my way up the brick path that led to the porch.

I set my suitcase down, rang the doorbell and stepped back.

A man who resembled Shifty opened the inside door.

"Can I help you, Miss?" he spoke in the same Virginian accent.

"Yes, I'm here to see—"

"Jimmy! Ma wants you to—" Shifty stepped into view behind the man, then looked right at me.

He stood there motionless, staring at me with his mouth slightly open right where his words stopped.

I bit my lip shyly and looked down at my choice of clothes: a light blue mid-length dress with short sleeves and a collar I left unbuttoned; black heels; and a bracelet of silver stars. 

Not the best, but I thought it'd do. 

Jimmy caught on and turned to Shifty. "Ma wants me to...?"

Shifty snapped out of it and looked back at him. "Help her move the nightstand in her room."

"'Kay," Jimmy simply said before going down a hallway, into a room.

I felt immobilized under Shifty's gaze. All I could do was smile when he stepped outside and closed the screen door behind him.

We stood inches apart for a second before he put his arms around my waist. I put mine around his neck and closed my eyes, as if I was about to fall a hundred feet down a cliff and his hold was the only thing that kept me from slipping away.

I gasped when he lifted me and spun me around. He set me down on my feet and kissed my cheek.

"You been working out a lot?" I giggled.

"Nope. Why?" he pecked my nose.

"Because I'm fat!" I replied matter-of-factly.

He kissed my lips this time and pulled away only slightly so that our noses still touched.

"You're perfect," he whispered.

I put my mouth on his and kept it there longer than he initially had.

Afterwards, he escorted me inside to introduce me to his mom, dad, sister, cousin and three brothers.

—

"So how did y'all meet? Were you always in the same company?" his father, Barnum, wondered.

I nodded and swallowed my steak. "Yes, sir. I believe it was at the mess hall."

I looked over at Shifty next to me and he confirmed. "We just ran Currahee."

"Was it love at first sight?" Audrey, his mother, asked in awe.

I smiled to myself.

> _"Aw shit, I dropped my fork!" Sarah mumbled with her mouth full of cornbread._
> 
> _"Here, I'll get another one," I slid it to my side with my foot and swung my upper body under the table to pick it up._
> 
> _I got up, dirty utensil in hand, and walked towards the kitchen window._
> 
> _As soon as I took two steps, I got back with my hands up._
> 
> _"Sorry," a slightly sweaty, clearly exhausted Shifty almost bumped into me and echoed my word._
> 
> _We moved to the same side, still blocking each other. I looked away and nervously laughed. He did the same._
> 
> _This time we passed each other. I got a new fork from one of the cooks and returned to my table, where an amused-looking Sarah was eyeing me from the top of her water glass._
> 
> _"Shut up," I scoffed and put her clean fork on her plate._

His mother must've noticed me revisiting the moment because she wore a smirk on her face now.

"I wouldn't quite say that, but I did feel something... special. He was one of my closest friends going into Normandy and it wasn't until we got to Holland, I think a year later, that I knew I was in love with him," I told her. 

I felt his hand on my back and blushed.

"That's excellent," she put her hands together. "Kids these days. Lemme tell ya. Just goin' straight to bed nowadays."

I widened my eyes a little and focused on kebabbing the peas on my plate with one of the prongs on the fork.

I'd be lying if I said I never thought about us in that stage. When I actually got time to think, anyway, and I wasn't pulling shrapnel from body parts. It's crazy, but I was hungry for love in those moments. Sarah had Liebgott—although whether or not they were actually in love is debatable—while I was forming friendships with two of the most reserved and quieter guys in Easy: Shifty and one of the medics, Eugene "Doc" Roe. Doc and I weren't very close like I was with Sarah and Shifty, but that doesn't mean he wasn't a good friend still . It was the other that held my heart.

It made me wonder at that moment what Shifty was thinking. I don't know when he got 'the' feeling. Regardless, I'm sure he's quite embarrassed, as this is the first time I'm getting to know his family and they're getting to know me.

"They protect you? Can't help but think war's a dangerous place for a lady," Barney took a sip from his glass.

> _My heart was racing. I was sure I was going to die right here. There was no way I was going to run through this town unscathed._
> 
> _I was all alone._
> 
> _Last of Sarah I saw, she was caring for a severely wounded Ed Tipper. That's what I saw anyway before I ducked behind a building twenty feet away._
> 
> _I needed to keep moving, but I also didn't want to get hit, especially so early in combat. Someone might need me._
> 
> _I didn't hear it at first, but there was a distant call of my name._
> 
> _" Y/F/N? Y/F/N!"_
> 
> _I frantically looked around and spotted Malarkey and Muck behind two pillars in front of some chapel._
> 
> _"Go and we'll cover ya!" Muck yelled over the shots._
> 
> _I nodded a thank you to them and sprinted the opposite direction when I heard them fire into the windows of a nearby building._

"Oh yeah. Without a doubt," I cleared my plate and wiped my mouth with a napkin. "In fact, there's one remarkable instance in which your brother saved my life."

> _"Listen to me! You're good, alright?" I said, grabbing Hashey's shoulders looking straight into his fearful eyes._
> 
> _He nodded and continued cursing under his breath as I finished wrapping the bandage around his waist._
> 
> _I grabbed one of the syrettes from my satchel and just as I was filling it with morphine, I felt a sudden whizz above my head._
> 
> _I jumped and looked to my right. There was a dead Kraut propped up against a tree with a clean hole right between his eyes, which bore a dead stare right past me._
> 
> _I whipped my head to face the other direction to see Shifty lowering his rifle to look at me._
> 
> _Shortly after, I looked down at Hashey and stuck the syrette to his thigh._

His father smiled proudly at Shifty. "Always had great eyesight."

The rest of the night was spent talking about the remaining Powers children.

It turns out Barney and Jimmy had taken part in the war effort as well, joining the Marines and the Navy respectively. Jimmy was shipped to the Pacific before we'd made our first real jump. 

The youngest boy in the family, Frankie, had to wait to enlist anywhere as he was still underage at the time.

"Is it time?" he piped.

"Oh, right!" she gasped and looked over at me from across the table. "Has Darrell told you about my pie?"

I smiled big and nodded. I hadn't known she'd made any for today.

One thing's for sure: it definitely lived up to its hype.

—

I was with Bailey, Shifty's five-year-old cousin playing with her dolls when Audrey popped her head in.

"Time for bed, girls."

"But we was just having fun!" the little girl groaned and threw herself back so she was lying flat on the floor, her arms sprawled out, the doll with brown yarn for hair almost slipping from her hand.

I couldn't help but giggle, because not only can I see the same adorable face Shifty has, but also because of the same way they speak.

Even with Audrey's hands on her hips, she shook her head and chuckled. "There's always tomorrow, dear. Say goodnight to Y/F/N."

Bailey lifted her head from the floor and glanced at me.

"Night night!" she waved her doll at me.

"Goodnight, sweetie," I replied, putting down the black-haired doll she handed me earlier in the tin lunchbox she used to store her toys. 

I stood up from my spot on the floor and ruffled Bailey's hair while she gave me a sad pout.

I said goodnight to her mom and the rest of the family on my way to Shifty's room, where I'll be staying.

There was a knock on the door the minute I slipped my night blouse on.

"One minute," I quickly pulled my shirt together and buttoned it up. "Come in."

Shifty opened the door just enough to stick his face through.

"Hey," I looked over my shoulder and greeted.

The end of his lip flew up in a half-smile as he stepped in his room and closed the door behind him. 

I took my feet off the floor and moved to the center of the bed right in front of the pillows when I saw him sitting down, one leg folded underneath him and the other hanging over the edge.

He just stared at me and blushed before biting his lip. 

"What?" I asked, looking at my shirt to make sure I completely closed it. 

"You're so cute," he laughed a little.

I took one of his pillows from behind me and lightly smacked it on his arm. "Why?"

"What was that for?" he pretended to frown at me.

"I don't know," I inched closer to him. "Tell me why I'm cute, then!"

"Cus I saw you playing with my little cousin," he backed a way a little and put his hand over mine. "And it was the most adorable thing I've ever seen."

"I like little kids. Babies, especially," I shrugged. "I mean, I don't know how to change diapers or anything, but they're easily entertained, so I try."

"You'd make an excellent mother one day," he looked at me with endearing eyes.

My jaw dropped. Was he trying to tell me something?

It seems he began to realize how that could have been taken too, since he opened his mouth, eyes wide.

"Oh... oh my, I didn't...," he gulped. "I'm not trying to..."

I could tell he was about to get up, so I grabbed the back of his head and kissed him hard.

His breathing evened and I pulled away.

I gazed into his almond-shaped eyes that pleaded with me not to judge him.

I whispered, "Thank you."

I've always wanted a baby in the future and it meant so much to hear such a sentiment from someone that I loved so much. 

His grin returned—albeit a small one—and he held my hand to his mouth and kissed my knuckles.

"She loves you, Y/F/N. She told me earlier how nice you are and that your dress was pretty," he smiled bigger this time. "Heck, everyone here loved you. Mama's even taken quite a liking to you." 

"They do? She has?" I asked, speechless.

I was an alright girl, in my opinion. I was nervous about how they would take our relationship. Although I knew Shifty for more than four years now, I'm pretty much brand new in his family's eyes.

"You know what she told me when you came back here? She took me aside and said 'keep her'," Shifty beamed.

I wasn't expecting that. After dessert, I helped with washing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen. I was telling her a bit about myself and living in New York. I probably let slip at one point that Shifty is the closest I've had to a boyfriend because I was never the type of girl to scoop up dates so easily. I went on about how modest he is, that he's a gentleman, and that he was proficient at his job. I told her that he makes me feel how I've longed to feel: loved and adored, even beautiful. 

I didn't think any of this would prompt her to say such a thing. It was just how I felt about him.

"I hope you do," I touched my forehead with his.

"Don't worry, darlin'. You're not going anywhere," he put my hand to his heart.

We heard the door crack open and jumped apart.

"Come on, Shifty," Barney smirked. "Time for bed."

"I'll be right out," he audibly groaned.

His brother just made an 'alright then' face and closed the door. Not all the way, but just enough to leave that tiny sliver of light from the hallway in.

He turned back to me. "Goodnight, Y/F/N."

"Goodnight," I let his hand go.  


He kissed my forehead lightly and went to the couch in the living room.


	4. Part 4

The following day wasn't too eventful. I tagged along with the family to see more of Clinchco, mostly.

We were stopped several times by locals who recognized Shifty as one of the first paratroopers. For all the praise he received, he humbly accepted and even took the time to answer some of their questions, without going into too much detail.

He even mentioned me here and there and I also got some looks of admiration. I wasn't used to getting much attention, but it felt good knowing people were thankful for what we did over there.

On our way to the grocery store, I saw these two blonde girls—who looked to be around our age, maybe younger—eyeing Shifty. They stood out, as they looked like they could he swimsuit models. 

I held his hand, interlocking our fingers and gave him a kiss on the cheek. I must have looked suspicious to him because he looked over at me and then behind him.

When we got inside the small, gray stone building, he pulled me aside one of the aisles and put his hands on my cheeks. He locked our lips together.

"In case you couldn't tell, I'm into brunettes," he said into my ear, making me smile big.

After getting some bread and milk, we went to a jewelry store, where I got my aunt a small flower brooch.

The remainder of the day was spent at home relaxing and preparing dinner.

I even got to play with Bailey more.

"What did you draw?" she leaned over the coffee table, trying to look at my paper.

"It's a flower," I held up my picture of a sunflower and looked at her paper. "Is that an angel?" 

She nodded and turned her paper so that it faced me.

"Her name is Angelie," she pointed at the stick-winged figure on her page.

"Angelie the angel," I grinned as the name bounced off my tongue.

"Mhm," Bailey bunched up different colors of crayons in one hand and made little specs above the halo. "She likes confetti."

"You're a good artist," I said as I continued to look at the dots and and happy expression drawn on Angelie.

"Do you love my cousin?" 

The question turned my attention to her. 

"I do, sweetie," I started putting the crayons back in the box.

She got up from her spot and sat closer to me. "He loves you a lot."

"I know he does!" I tickled her sides.

Bailey squirmed and squeaked with laughter.

Realizing my mistake and remembering the sleeping household, I stopped and shushed her.

She covered her mouth and calmed down before wrapping her arms around me.

"And I love you!" she said in a cheerful whisper, her soft cheek pressed against my pajama top.

I hugged her and looked up. 

Shifty walked into the living room, looking pleased with our embracing one another.

"Bailey, come on. Bedtime," he knelt down in front of us and tried to pry her off me. 

She yawned and fell limp in his grasp. 

He scooped her into his arms and stood up.

"Wait!" she whined and reached her hand out at the table.

I quickly got up and gathered our pictures, giving them to her. "You can keep mine too."

She held them and yawned again, rubbing her eye.

"Goodnight," I ruffled Bailey's hair again and gave Shifty a quick peck on the cheek before going to his room.

—

It was my last day in Virginia. The next morning, I'm taking the train back home with Shifty in tow.

I wanted to do nothing all day but lay in bed. Last night, when I closed my eyes, I saw the image of a little boy who I spotted in one of the towns we seized. It disturbed me at the time to see him huddled in a corner of a living room while I was covered in blood, a wounded man lying before me that was later being taken away. 

I couldn't sleep. I refused to for a majority of the night. I didn't want to see—to feel—his distress. A face that was afraid, begging to be saved, broken in the midst of the turmoil brought on by war...

A headache was usually accompanied by lack of sleep. I hadn't even checked the time, but the heavenly glow of the closed blinds gave me an idea of what time of day it was. 

I kneaded my temple with the heels of my hands and groaned to myself. I was getting tired. I needed to sleep.

There was a knock at the door.

"Mm?" I hummed from under the covers to give the person the green light to enter.

I heard the door swing open, the knob hitting the wall perpendicular to it with a dull thud. Animated footsteps pattered against the floor and the bed sunk with the weight of a sack of apples.

Alarmed, I sat up and threw the blanket over my head.

"Wait... Bailey?" I croaked and let my eyes adjust to the little pink form in front of me. 

"Are you sick, Y/F/N?" she scooted closer to me and I could make out her big eyes and small pout.

"What time is it?" I yawned and stretched my arm over my head.

"Two," she kept the same concerned voice. 

I swear my eyes took up half my face. I missed breakfast and lunch. I wonder what everyone was up to now.

"Oh wow...," I got up and started brushing my hair. "I just didn't sleep well, that's all."

"Okay," Bailey went to me and hugged my legs before running out.

I went to the bathroom and brushed my teeth and changed into a yellow dress I packed.

"Hey, where were you?" Shifty put his drink down and hugged me as soon as I entered the living room. 

"She couldn't sleep," Bailey said from the couch, still looking worried.

"Why not?" he put one hand on my cheek.

"Just memories," I smiled and hugged him again.

"What kinda memories?" Bailey wondered, swinging her feet back and forth while drinking from a straw in a tall glass like Shifty's.

I sat next to her, feeling somewhat happier now. "I was thinking about home. Which reminds me, there's this man I live next door to and he used to have a horse!"

The little girl in her pink dress gasped and put her hands to her face. "A horsey?!"

"Yep," I pulled her on my lap. "He said her name was Winnie." 

Bailey laughed at the name.

"Oh, I saved some lunch for you in the kitchen," Shifty said with his hand on my shoulder.

"Really?" I moved Bailey to her original spot on the couch and stood up. "Is your mom around? I wanna tell her thanks."

"It's just us three today, actually," Shifty finished his drink.

As I walked to the kitchen, I heard the animated footsteps again.

"Wait, I wanna know more!" Bailey skipped to me, her little ponytail flouncing behind her.

I giggled and let her sit with me while I ate and talked more about home.

—

Jimmy and Barney were at work. Frankie and Gaynell were at their friends' house. Their parents were at a party with some close friends.

Bailey had been picked up an hour ago by her mom and dad, so now it was just Shifty and I all alone.

I told him about what I saw last night when I closed my eyes.

"I've been getting them too. Well, one so far. To when we were at Landsberg. The man that knelt in front of me...," Shifty confessed before putting his cigarette back in his mouth.

I reached across the table and held his arm. "But we can get through this."

He gave me a reassuring smile. "You wanna head back? I got something for us."

"Like a present?" I looked at him confusedly.

"Something like that," he slid out of the booth and put some bills down by our plates. "Come on."

"Yes, Sarg," I said playfully.

I followed him out the door and got in the car. 

When we got back to his house, he went around the front of the car and opened my door for me, lifting my hand.

"Very gentlemanly," I told him approvingly, stepping down and moving to the side so he can close the door.

I pulled the lapels of his jacket together so it stayed draped around my shoulders.

He led me to the back of the house, looked up at the sky and stopped.

"See that star up there?" he pointed up with his free hand.

I followed his eyes and finger. Although the dark blue sky was littered with millions of white specs, there was one that stood out from the rest. It was slightly bigger in size and looked as if it had a brighter glow. The only one near it was another star that was smaller, but still bigger than the ones surrounding the two.

"I do," I gasped a little. "It's so pretty."

Around the time we were starting to get to know each other, I talked briefly about how I loved stars. I enjoyed being under them and thinking about who else might be looking at them with me. I didn't think he would remember that conversation.

"It's you," I heard him say.

That warm feeling in my chest returned. With my mouth slightly open, I looked back at him. I didn't realize how close we were standing. 

"What?" I finally got out.

"You're my star," a pink tint was forming on his cheeks. "I spent some nights out here when I was younger... I would... I would look for that same star and always hoped I'd find mine one day."

"So have you?" I wondered.

"I have," he secured my hand in both of his.

Just as I was going in to kiss him, he moved his head back.

Seeing the disappointment etched across my face, he spoke again. "W-Will you be my star forever?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but he continued.

"It wasn't til I was in Eindhoven that I saw the one that shone the brightest. Even more than the one above us right now. The brightest I've seen in my life, I declare!" 

He loved me since Eindhoven. So he felt a spark before I did.

"I've found... well... quite a lot in you: an excellent nurse, loyal confidant, affectionate love... and hopefully, a stunning bride."

"Shif-"

Keeping his eyes up at me, he got down on one knee and held a velvet box with one hand, opening it with the other to reveal a beautiful silver band with a round diamond in the middle and two small leaf-shaped ones on either side. It resembled a diamond flower.

I told him once that I worked at a flower shop prior to enlisting. It was perfect.

" Y/F/N Y/L/N, will you marry me?" his gaze was softer now, more relaxed.

"Yes!" I whispered through tears.

I watched as he slipped the ring on and got back up so we were eye to eye again.

He pulled at his jacket to bring me closer and crashed his lips over mine.

My knees felt numb and I couldn't hear anything around us anymore. No more crickets chirping or owls hooting. Just the sound of my heart expanding and contracting ringing in my ears. 

We stood there, joined together, for what felt like hours.

I felt his tongue touching mine, making me moan.

He breathed heavier and broke the kiss. 

"God, you make me so happy," his lips flew up in that same broad grin. He kissed my head and chuckled. "I was so nervous, but it was all worth it, you know?"

"I could never say no to marrying the man that got the bulls eye on my heart," I bit my lip.

It was a stupid line, but he seemed to like it.

"Such a way with words," he ghosted his hand over my cheek, tracing my bottom lip with his thumb. 

"I could say the same for you," I put my arms around his neck. 

I made out with him more. Shivers coursed through my body as his hands snaked under his jacket, around my waist, and moved up my back.

With his strong embrace, big hands, and deep kisses all on me, I picked up on a familiar emotion unraveling. It was lust.

He must of felt it too, because he started planting feathery kisses along my neck, his hold on me still present.

"Shifty," I half-moaned, half panicked.

It was then that he seemed to come back down from the high we were in together.

He put some distance between us and scratched the back of his head.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart," he blurted guiltily and diverted his eyes from mine. "I wasn't—"

"So you don't want me?" I shrunk in his jacket.

"No! Not..." he shook his head and closed his eyes.

He opened them again and looked at me this time. 

"I won't be offended," I began. "I don't want you to feel like you should."

"I want to, Y/F/N," he looked at his shoes and at me again. "But only if you feel the time is right."

He's so respectful. Always has been and I love him for that too.

"Can we just go back inside and cuddle maybe? Well, after I take a shower anyway," I slipped his jacket off my shoulders and handed it to him.

"Of course, doll," he hooked the collar with his fingers and threw it over his shoulder so it slung from his back. 

I smiled warmly and caught up with him, linking my arm with his. I didn't want him to think I was pushing him away.

He kissed my cheek on our way inside, making me giggle.

I slipped off my shoes and got to the bathroom, closing the door behind me.


	5. Chapter 5

After putting on my slip and drying my hair, I peeled the covers back and slid right under.

Shifty came in, closing the door behind him and went around to the other side of the bed. 

Once he was lying next to me, I got closer and nuzzled my head against his chest. He had on his Camp Toccoa t-shirt and pajama pants. 

I breathed in his scent and closed my eyes. He must've gotten in the other shower at the same time since he smelled fresh. 

We met eyes before he brushed some hair from my face and kissed me. 

I placed my hands over his pecs and kissed him more. I then broke it and kissed the side of his neck, leaving a trail that ended over his Adam's apple.

He hummed in satisfaction and stopped me by tipping my head back slightly. 

"Baby, are you sure about this?" he asked with a glint in his eyes. "We could wait, you know."

I traced the parachute on his shirt and made my lips a small straight line in thought. 

Following a two-minute silence, he pecked my forehead and lifted my chin. "You still there?"

"I love you, Shifty," I let myself get lost in his eyes. "I've wanted you for so long." 

He put his arms around my sides and kissed me passionately.

My face flushed at the wetness forming between my legs. 

"I want it. I swear I was about to go insane if I didn't tell you how I felt, let alone kiss you," I said when he let us breathe.

His hands were roaming my body. Then I felt a sudden smooch on my neck, below my ear.

"I've been feeling just that," he whispered.

I let out a sigh of relief and pulled him in for more kissing. 

There was something hard against my thigh under the covers.

"Shifty, wait," I opened my eyes and arched my back to put some space between our mouths. 

"Yes, darlin'?" he stopped what he was doing.

"I'm..." I felt a lump forming on my throat. "I'm a virgin."

"So am I," he confessed, his fingers playing with the ribbon adorned around the waistband of my nightdress.

I gave him a comforting smile.

In response, he kissed my cheek and told me, "I'll be gentle. Just tell me if you want me to stop."

"Okay," I licked my lips and lay back, trying to relax.

He left open-mouth kisses across my collarbone and brushed the straps of my dress off my shoulders, his touch light as a feather.

"You might get turned off by my body," I folded my hands over my chest so he wouldn't go further.

I was afraid of how he would react to how I look in the nude. I did everything I could to make it look nice despite the scars and extra fat.

He kissed both my bare shoulders, giving them goose bumps.

"Baby, your body's perfect the way it is," he said lowly against my neck, while his hands were on my sides. "I'm absolutely certain."

I took my hands off and let him pull the lace neckline down to reveal my breasts. I crossed my arms under them and even glanced at him shyly.

He kissed one breast while cupping the other with one hand. 

I closed my eyes and bit my lip when I felt his lips around my nipple and his tongue running over the areola. A purr escaped me.

"How'm I doing so far?" he asked awkwardly.

"Good. That feels good," I ran my fingers through his short brown hair. 

He seemed pleased with my approval and kissed that breast before moving to the other, repeating the method of licking and caressing he had done already. 

I was freed from the coverage of my silk nightdress as it slid off my belly, down my legs, and pulled over my feet. 

The line of kisses continued, starting from between my breasts, going over my naval, and stopped just above my underwear. I was so wet by then. 

I watched as his fingers curled under the waistband and slowly pulled it down over my legs. When it reached my knees, I lifted my legs up in the air and did the rest, tossing it across the room.

Now lying flat on the bed, I hesitantly parted my legs for him. 

He moved down and kissed my thighs while looking up at me, as if to ask for complete entry. 

I inhaled sharply the closer his lips got to my womanhood.

"Baby, how do you feel so far?" he asked.

I smiled reassuringly at him and brushed some stray locks from his forehead. 

"Really good," I nodded and giggled. "Keep going, Shift."

My arousal was taking me higher as he kissed all around my labia and ran his tongue over the lips.

"Sh—" I moaned and arched my back. "Keep doing that."

He kissed the outer lips again while looking up at me to watch my reaction. I could see a little smirk forming as he licked over my slit, but not as fast this time.

I moaned even more and grabbed my breasts, pinching my nipples.

"Oh! Oh fuck..." I exclaimed as his hands gripped my thighs and his tongue flicked just by my clit.

I parted my folds with my index and ring fingers, using the middle finger to tap the nub. "Right here, Shifty."

He eagerly got to teasing my clit with the very tip of his tongue, making me hum in pleasure. It was when he puckered his lips around it that I was almost driven over the edge.

"Shifty!" I breathlessly gasped. "Oh God, keep going!"

My hips rolled the more he lubricated me. I debated about whether or not I should stop him, but I was getting so close. He used his thumb to rub my clit, giving his tongue a break. 

It was quite painful at first but it melted into pleasure. 

I moaned louder and louder, cursing and calling his name until I reached my peak. 

He crawled back up so we were eye to eye again.

"That was so hot, Y/F/N," he bit his lip after kissing me.

Catching my breath still, I smiled and lifted the hem of his shirt up to his pecs. "Your turn."

He got up from the bed and pulled his shirt over his head.

"Wow," I scanned his muscular frame.

He wasn't exactly buff, but you could tell he's been working out. 

One of his hands cupped my cheek. He gave me a romantic kiss on my mouth and neck before letting me kiss him all over.

I got on my knees on the floor and admired the elongated outline in his pajama pants. With a single palm stroke across it, I felt some wetness absorbed in the material. 

When he saw me reaching for the waistband, he blushed noticeably. 

"I may have cum already," he confessed, a subtle hint of shame in his gentle voice.

By then, I had pulled his pants down to his ankles and his cock sprung out at me, the tip hitting my nose. 

My jaw dropped.

Not only did it look long, it was pretty thick. 

"Hmm..." I said, giving it one fast lick. "Definitely fine with that."

"Shit," he muttered when I tried to fit it all in my mouth.

When I only got halfway, I moved on to sucking it, up and down, up and down. I used both hands to stroke it and get it nice and hard again.

"Oh... baby..." he closed his eyes and kept his hand in my hair. 

I was so turned on my how happy I was making him, so I kept going, even taking time to swirl my tongue around the head. 

Since it was dripping with precum, I stopped and got back on the bed, pulling him on top.

He positioned himself on his knees, between my open legs, and leaned over to kiss my lips.

The head of his cock traced the labia followed by its careful entrance inside of me.

My body clenched and I felt a hint of panic and pain. He was possibly an inch inside me when he pulled it back.

"Did I hurt you?" I heard Shifty's soothing, concerned voice.

I shook my head. "No, just... nervous."

He smiled understandingly and kissed my forehead and lips. "Just relax."

So I did. I released the tension I held on to and focused on the way he was looking at me: like I was the best thing in the world. 

I buried my face into his shoulder as his cock parted my walls. 

When I winced in pain at the new feeling, he kissed my neck and moaned, "So tight."

He moved his hips faster, penetrating deeper into me. 

I crashed my lips onto his the harder he went and raked my fingers through his hair, my ring disappearing into strands of brown. 

"Shifty... Fuck, Shifty, you're gonna make me cum," I clawed at his back. 

His moans and grunts became louder and heavier, his arms squeezing my waist.

"Oh!" I giggled when he carried me off my back and switched our positions.

I was on top this time and still mounted on his erection. 

With his hands digging into my hips, I bounced up and down his cock. The faster I went, I felt my walls clenching. 

"You look so sexy, darlin'," he groaned, one hand holding my breast.

He ran his thumb over my nipple and watched me ride him harder. 

"Shifty, I'm gonna cum!" I panted. "Oh my God, I'm gonna fucking cum!"

He sat up and grabbed my ass. 

I threw my head back and came all over his cock. "Fuck..."

His lips brushed against my lips, cheek, neck, and breasts.

The pace slowed down and I felt a warm stream shoot into me, followed by a low growl and breathing on my shoulder. He chuckled and moved his hands slowly up my back. His laughs were pretty contagious, so I, predictably, started laughing too. 

We lingered there for what felt like a long time, catching our breaths and getting lost in each other’s eyes.

He kissed my forehead, whispering, "I love you, Y/F/N."

I grabbed his cheeks and kissed him with all the love I had.

"I love you, Shifty," I responded, resting my head against his. 

I moved from his lap and got on one side of the bed. Pulling the blanket over my body to cover everything below my shoulders, my mind wandered to the wedding. I know it was too soon, considering we haven't told anyone yet, but I couldn't help but imagine him in his Class A uniform, standing in front of me at the end of the aisle, with so much love in his eyes and smile. 

"What are you thinking about?" 

Snapping out of it, I looked to my fiancé, who was lying on his back, an arm tucked behind his neck and his sheets draped over his torso. 

I lied down on my side facing him. "You when we get married."

He licked his lips. "Yeah?" 

I nodded and got a sinking feeling in my stomach. I knew I wanted to invite all the men who'd fought with us, but while I ran down the list of names, I remembered the ones who weren't with us anymore. Skip would've brought Faye Tanner and I'd get to meet the girl Luz was teasing him about. Penkala and I would be all over the dessert table—me with the cakes and him with the cookies. Hoobler's merry grin would've lit up the whole room as he hung around Webster and Christenson. Hell, I could even see Bill Kiehn being in Shifty's party.

I couldn't hold it in anymore. It started with just two teardrops, but started becoming waterfalls real quick.

Right away, Shifty moved closer to me and held me against his chest. He didn't say anything while I let the sadness come and pass. He combed his fingers through my hair and kissed my forehead.

Once I calmed down and swiped my hands over my face, he asked in his troubled, yet soothing tone. "What's wrong, doll?"

I dipped my head back a little to meet his gaze. I was in my fortress. Whenever he was around, I knew I was safe. 

"The men that can't come to our special day," I sniffed. "I know they did what they had to do, but it's just... it's not fair. They didn't deserve any of that."

Shifty wiped a tear that was forming in my eye. "I know, Y/F/N. But you know what? They will. They'll still be watching over us, you know?" 

I smiled at the thought of leaving an empty table for the fallen with their pictures and positive memories we have of them. I think it'd be a great way to honor their actions and have them with us at the same time. 

I told him my idea and he looked at me fondly. 

"I love it," he kissed me. "You're so beautiful, so sweet. I declare!"

I wanted to kiss him again, but he gently put a hand on my shoulder to stop me. "Before I forget again, I wanted to give something back."

He went across the room to his Musette bag and pulled out a piece of paper. I immediately recognized it as the military stationary I wrote on in the hospital. 

Joining me on the bed again, he opened the locket around my neck and slipped a piece of film into one of the slots. 

Once it clicked close, he kissed my lips and smiled big. "So you'll know we'll always be together. Through everything. Good and bad." 

I kissed him and intertwined my fingers with his. "I love you, Darrell Clay Powers."

"I love you too, Y/F/N Y/L/N Powers," he moved some hair from my face. 

I loved the sound of that. 

We cuddled for the rest of the night. I was just about to doze off when something else came to mind.

"Shifty?" I broke the silence. 

"Hmm?" he hummed sleepily.

"You think Bailey would like being the flower girl?" I ran my fingers along his chest. 

A small grin melted across his face. He put his hand on the back of my head and kissed my head.

"I'm sure she'd like that, darlin'," he told me with his eyes still closed.

Happy with the answer, I put my head and hand flat on his chest and drifted to sleep.


	6. Part 6

"Y/F/N! Y/F/N! Y/F/N!"

I spun around and saw Bailey coming to me, her flower crown hanging over the back of her head. 

"What happened?" I wondered, crouching down to her level.

"Stinny pulled my crown off!" Bailey said.

I looked over at Winston, the ring bearer, who was another one of Shifty's younger cousins.

"Did not!" Winston protested a few feet away.

I smiled at Bailey and fixed the circle of pink and white flowers over her temple. 

"Winston, say sorry to Bailey," I looked at him sternly.

"But I didn't do it!" Winston pouted.

"You know, Darrell wouldn't approve of this behavior," I reminded him.

Winston tightened his lip and hung his head in shame. His family, along with Bailey's, was very close to Shifty's so they loved each other like siblings. 

"Sorry, Bailey," he twisted the toe of his sleek, black dress shoes on the floor. 

"It's okay, Stinny," she put her hands together, turned back to me, and gave me a quick hug. "Thank you, Y/F/N!"

I smiled. "You two need to get to your places soon."

Winston tapped her shoulder and started running to the altar. "Race you there!" 

"No! That's cheating!" Bailey called as she chased after him. 

I couldn't have picked a better family to be a part of.

Sarah came in from behind me, her hand across her forehead. "Oh my God, I think that tequila's starting to set in!"

I looked at her with a slack-jawed look on my face. "You started drinking already?"

"Well it was a pre-game toast between the wedding party," Sarah explained. "But then Nixon told me I couldn't drink the whole bottle and... Well, I did."

I chuckled and shook my head. Leave it to Sarah to accept a drinking challenge from Lewis Nixon.

Then I realized something.

"Wait, I didn't know Nixon was a groomsman," I told her confusedly.

Shifty told me the guys in his party were Winters, Liebgott, McClung, Skinny, Jimmy, Barney, and Frankie with the best man being Popeye.

Sarah shrugged, "He was looking for Winters for something and he saw our glasses. 'Course Nixon, being Nixon, wouldn't say no to alcohol."

"And you toasted with tequila?" I wondered. 

Like Winters, I abstained from drinking. But even then, I thought tequila was an odd choice for making wedding toasts. 

"Don't tell me what I can't drink!" Sarah jokingly gave me a shove. 

"Sarah, you coming yet?" I heard Liebgott ask from the end of the hall that connected the room we were in and a lounge. 

"Yeah, I'll be right there," she nearly tripped walking to him.

"Shit," he whispered and speed walked towards her.

He swung one of her arms over his shoulders but she stepped away. "No, I'm fine, Joe."

"Are you?" he placed his hand on her lower back and looked over at me. "You nervous?"

"No," I responded sarcastically.

"Okay, well so is Shifty!" he added before leading Sarah to the altar. "See you out there!"  
__

"Grant!" I exclaimed and threw my arms around him. "I can't believe it..."

He smiled and put his right arm around my waist, since, I learned, his left arm was partially paralyzed.

"Good... to see you again, Y/F/N," he smiled, took a step back and motioned at my dress with his hand out. "You look... you look great!"

Liebgott also told me earlier that he had trouble speaking occasionally, but actually hearing it broke my heart a bit. When we got word that Grant was recovering, we were all informed that the Kraut surgeon allegedly said how tough he was throughout the operation, and it was true. Grant is one strong guy, so I suppose it wasn't all that bad. 

"Thank you," I squeezed and patted his shoulder. "Always a sweetheart, you."

I greeted the rest of the guys, exchanging hugs while Shifty shook their hands and had his back clapped a few times.

"Hey, Shift! Ya finally did it!"

We turned our heads and saw Bill and Joe Toye standing by us on crutches.

"Bill!" I gasped and hugged him too. 

I probably took a little longer with him than the other guys, because I heard Toye clear his throat.

"Where's my hug?" he joked in his gruff voice.

I laughed and turned on my heel, putting an arm around his shoulder. 

When I pulled away, he gave me a once-over. "That's a better look for you. You know, better than ODs and blood."

"Oh thanks, Joe," I said, partially surprised. 

"What, I can't be sentimental?" he smiled warmly.

Despite his hardened exterior, yes, Joe Toye does have a soft side.

"Ya can't. And that's why ya got no dame, Toye!" Bill told him, his mouth left open to let out one of his boisterous laughs.

"Hey, shut it or I'm telling Fran about all the nurses you hit on at the hospital!" Joe squinted at him. 

My eyes flew to Bill, appalled. 

"He's bluffing!" Bill shook his head and rolled his eyes at Joe. "'Sides, what do I gotta do that for when I have Fran?" 

I smiled deeply and nodded in agreement. "She's a great girl, Bill."

I got to meet her before the ceremony began, complimenting her jewelry. She introduced herself as Fran Guarnere and we chatted about general stuff and even swapped stories about Bill, some of which she was amused and unsurprised by.

"She really is," he beamed. 

After catching up with the rest of the guys, I joined Sarah and the rest of the girls at their table.  
__

While I spoke with another friend, Hira, over our meals, I hadn't seen Shifty slip away.

Everyone's chatter, including ours, died down when we heard slow music playing at a low volume.

There was a tap on my shoulder. I looked behind me and, a foot or so away from the back of my chair, Shifty stood there with a shy smile and put his hand out to me.

"Can I have this dance?" he asked in his sweet Southern accent.

My heart was doing a million jumping jacks. I must've been staring too long because I felt Hira nudge my arm.

"Yes," I grinned and took his hand.

I stood up and followed him to the dance floor. 

As if him asking me to dance the way he did wasn't enough, when we stood at the center and faced each other, he swept one arm over his stomach and bowed.

I blushed and curtsied, albeit awkwardly, pulling the side of my skirt up a bit.

When we both stood straight again, we stepped closer, me placing one hand on his shoulder and the other holding his hand that wasn't around my waist. 

It was just us when we danced. My eyes never left his. He spontaneously dipped me at some point, his eyes dropped down to my lips for a split second, and then he hauled me back up and kissed me.

Our heads touched as we kept dancing, our feet moving in time with the music.

After several couples joined us on the floor, I spoke. "Very nice entrance, Sergeant Powers."

He blushed, our hands clasped at the end of our outstretched arms. I twirled like a spinning top until my back was pressed against his chest. He kissed my cheek.

"Why, thank you, my pretty lady," he replied proudly. "Took a page from the official prince's handbook and everything!"

I faced him again and put my arms around his neck, leaving a loving kiss on his perfect mouth.  
__

"Got it, Shift?" I giggled, trying not to think dirty thoughts.

He slowly slipped the light blue garter down my leg.

"Anyday, babe," I joked. 

"What?" Babe called from the men standing some distance away from the women.

I threw my head back and let out a silent laugh.

Finally, Shifty swung my leg up and removed the elastic scrunch completely. 

He got up from his kneeling position and I put the skirt of my dress back down. We stood in front of our waiting guests.

"I'm totally gonna miss!" I told the group of girls practicing their jumps.

"Come on, Y/F/N!" Hira put her hands up. "Can't be that bad!" 

"Okay...," I smiled big and threw my bouquet over their heads. 

Sarah jumped the highest and caught it right by the bow holding it together. 

The rest of us said our "oooo's" and raised their brows at her.

"Come on, Shifty," Luz said amongst the huddle. "She still needs a groom."

"Yeah, maybe it'll be you, Luz," Perconte snickered, earning a glare from Liebgott.

"Considering what happened with the Fräulein, he'd need to work on his charm," Sarah quipped.

The guys bellowed "ohhhh", each putting his fist over his o-shaped mouth. Each girl slapped her open hand on her chest, her smile gaping, at the direction of the men. 

Luz, being a good sport, took it in stride. He smiled and put his hands up in defense. "Alright, alright."

Sarah smiled back and winked at him, signifying that she was, in fact, joking. 

"Just kidding, Luz. I love you," she swiped her hand out in a swatting motion.

"Everyone does!" he pulled the inside of his lapels towards his chest. 

Once the men were focused again, Shifty tossed the garter up and watched it fall into a bunch of catching hands. It teetered out of one man's grasp, resulting in the rest of the guys trying to swipe it up before it hit the ground. 

They backed away from the person in the middle who got it.

It was Webster. 

"Well this is awkward," he said over everyone's gasps, his mouth open as usual.

He quickly turned to Liebgott and casually chucked it onto his still-open hands. 

"Congratulations, buddy," Webster clapped Liebgott's back, who was now looking up at the built soldier, still looking lost. 

"Let's hear it for McCarthy and Liebgott!" Malarkey put his arm around the two guys.

Everyone cheered and clapped.

"I'll get the drinks," Winters chimed in with a half-smile across his face. 

"Better not be sparkling water!" Harry Welsh jabbed from the sidelines, where he sat with Lipton and Smokey.

"Have fun, guys," I looped my arm through Shifty's. "But not too much. Remember we already paid for this, so don't go putting extra charges on us!"

"We'll be fine!" Christenson reassured us, that devious, shark-like grin appearing. 

We said our goodbyes, hugged, and thanked everyone for coming. 

"Your horse-drawn carriage awaits," Shifty pulled me close by the waist as we walked.

"You got a horse-drawn carriage?!" I looked at him with wide eyes. 

"Well... no. It's a limo, but—" he sounded panicked that I would react in a way he wasn't hoping. 

I stopped and hugged him. "It's perfect."

There was a horn beeping outside, which seemed loud but only because we were very close by. 

Shifty held the door open for me, closing it behind him after following me in. I immediately started taking everything in: the leathery smell, the velvety floor, and the sunroof...

I opened it, letting the moonlight in the cabin. 

He gave the okay to the driver and the car started going. 

"So how do you like it?" Shifty turned his gaze towards me while I watched the moon follow us from above.

"I love it," I looked back at him, put my hands over his cheeks, and kissed his lips. "But I love you the most." 

His hand snaked lower from around my waist down to my ass.

"Oh," I gasped when I felt a squeeze. 

He tried to silence this by brushing strands of hair from my cheek with his other hand and kissing me harder. 

"My prince," I murmured against his ear. 

Shifty lifted my legs and laid them over his lap, running his hands up and down the tulle of my dress.

"Let's save it for our suite, baby," I blushed and swung one leg down.

"Anything for you," he gladly pulled my hand up and kissed the knuckles.


	7. Part 7

A Year and a Half Later

"Okay, babe, I think that's the last of it," I heaved a cardboard box over the coffee table in the living room and set it down.

Shifty came in and put another box down on the floor. He popped the cigarette from his mouth. "There're four more outside."

I groaned from my seat on the edge of the table and was about to get up, when Shifty bent down a bit and kissed my forehead.

"Now don't you worry your pretty little face, darlin'," he told me. "I'll bring those in while you go relax."

I leaned back and smiled as I watched him go out the door, a cloud of smoke blown in front of him broken into smaller streams when he walked through it. 

He's so sweet.

I went back into the kitchen and got a bottle of water from the fridge. I unscrewed the cap of a new bottle and took a long swig from it. 

While I drank, I heard four boxes being set down, one on top of the other, followed by the door closing. 

He came in and put his arms around me from behind. 

"All done," he told me happily. 

"That was fast," I put the cap back on the bottle and put it down on the counter. 

"Wasn't too hard," he kissed my nose when I turned to face him. "Just a bunch of dishes, utensils, clothes, my rifle..." 

"Show off," I scoffed, forgetting the fact that we both went through the same training in Toccoa.

He slung the strap of his rifle over his head and set it on the kitchen table. Afterwards, he stood closer and looked at me, our noses almost touching.

"Now if I wanted to show off, I'd do something like this."

Without a second thought, he picked me up with his hands under my thighs, below my ass. 

"Shif—" I yelped and put my hands on his shoulders.

He hoisted me up and sat me on the counter before crashing his lips onto mine.

I moved my hands over his cheeks and wrapped my legs around his hips.

The doorbell rang just as he was kissing down my neck. He ignored it and was about to unbutton the front if my dress when the bell rang again. 

His lips stretched into a thin line and he pulled away.

"I'll get it," I forced a smile and hopped off the counter. 

I went to the front door and opened it. 

A girl, who looked to be in her mid to late teens stood there with a cheery grin on her freckled face.

"Hi, I'm Betty Marie, your neighbor!" she extended her hand to me, eyes as blue as Webster's speckled with joy.

"Y/F/N," I clasped her hand and gave it a firm shake. "So which house are you from?"

"I am to your right," Betty chirped and pointed to the yellow house with white shutters, standing on her toes.

"Oh, nice," I nodded, not knowing what else to say.

"The one on your left is actually empty," she looked back at me. "No one's bought it for quite some time now."

"Y/F/N, who's at the door?" I heard Shifty ask from the kitchen.

I didn't get a chance to answer since he'd come up next to me, opening the door wider.

"Well hello there," Betty twirled her sand-colored hair between her fingers. 

Just like that, she seemed to subtlety change demeanor, giving him the elevator eyes. "I'm Betty, from next door."

Right away, I felt defensive.

 _Maybe she doesn't mean it like that_ , I kept smiling, letting my gaze fall to the boxes on the floor. _It's probably just a quirk._

I watched his reaction.

He put his hand out. "Darrell."

"A native, I see," Betty mused, shaking his hand.

"I am," Shifty put his arm around my sides. "Born and raised."

They smiled at each other in silence.

"Betty, why don't you come in?" I interjected. "I mean, we just got here, so it's not in the best state."

"Oh, that's understandable!" Betty perked, coming in and wiping her shoes on the rug.

We went to the kitchen, where they sat on the folding chairs. 

"Would you like a drink? Water, lemonade...?" I sat on the counter where Shifty put me earlier. 

"No thanks," Betty declined and looked at the tabletop, her face lighting up. "Is that an M1 Garand?"

"Yes, ma'am," Shifty replied with pride. "You handle one before?"

"Yeah I have!" she was about to pick it up, but looked to him for approval, to which he granted by a slight nod and half smile. 

"My pa and I hunted squirrels back then with these," she added as she inspected the rifle.

"Really? My dad and I... well, when I was a little boy, we hunted squirrels," Shifty looked at her with a glee.

"That and fishing at the nearby creek," she reminisced. 

"Same here!" he beamed.

In fact, that's probably the happiest I've seen him.

—

Once we'd gotten settled into our new house, we started looking for permanent jobs.

Shifty went back to work in the coal mining business. After a brief stint at a canning factory, I found that I preferred learning again, so I went back to school. 

Luckily, the local college was just a fifteen-minute drive from home. I took the tour and promptly enrolled as an English major. 

Wanting to support both of us financially, I picked up a job at the school's library. 

I was on my way there one day and I heard a familiar voice from down the corridor.

"Y/F/NNNNN!"

I stopped in my tracks and closed my eyes. 

_Please don't be Betty. Please don't be Betty._

I opened my eyes and there she was. Her sandy hair was pulled back in a bun and her light peach sundress swayed over her knees. 

"I didn't know you went here!" she smiled, glancing at the welcome folder I was holding.

"Yeah, I uh, I just got out of my only class for today," I stepped to the side to let other people pass through.

She put her back to the wall, her head turning to me. "I'm not doing anything right now. You wanna come by my house for lunch? Darrell can come too! He's so cute, by the way..."

My own grin slightly dropped when I saw the look in her eyes. It was unmistakable. Not only that, but the way she said the last two sentences. It didn't match how she normally spoke.

"Actually, I have a job at the library in five minutes," I brushed my hair behind my ear, folder still in hand. 

I was hoping she would notice the ring on my finger, though I'm not sure if she did. 

"Oh, maybe another time," she sounded disappointed, but still kept her cheeriness. "I'll see you again some time, then!"

I gave her a small smile, nodded and went on my way.


	8. Part 8

"Shifty? I'm home!" I put my keys on the hook by the door. 

I was about to shut the door behind me but saw him coming in.

"Oh, hey darlin'," he greeted with a kiss on my cheek. "You're home early."

I saw the fishing pole in his hand along with a cooler. 

His tilted his head to the side to try to meet my eyes so I hugged him.

He seemed taken aback by this, but put his free arm around me. 

I held him tighter and he pulled me away gently, looking at me. "Something wrong, doll?" 

"No, I just missed you," I folded my hands behind my back and looked away. 

"Oh," his expression softened. "I missed you too, Y/F/N."

My heart still did somersaults when he said my name. 

He held the red and white cooler up and smiled big. "Got dinner."

"Excellent," I picked my bag off the floor and swept a few stray hairs from his forehead into his hairline. "I'm hungry."

He closed the door and kissed me. "You get right to work and I'll cook for tonight." 

I followed him into the kitchen and sat in the chair facing the fridge. I cracked open a book, pulled out a highlighter pen from my bag, and started reading.

While he was setting the pan over the stove and preparing the cutting board, I asked, "So how many did you get?"

"Two," he answered, getting the knife out. "Would've been just one if Betty hadn't shown me where all the others swam off to."

"Betty?" I nearly dropped my book. 

"We went fishing together," he said happily. "Said she asked you but you had work, so I went with her."

Now he was sounding just as perky as her.

"My, she could spot their presence right before they took the bait! Like she only heard them coming!" he laid a fish out on the board and got to work on it. 

_She heard them coming._

The time he told me about closing his eyes and taking in every sound around him on the hollers played in the back of my mind.   
__

Popeye was already on his porch, cigarette in his mouth. 

"Y/F/N?" he squinted and put his feet down from the log in front of him. 

I said nothing as I took a deep breath and kept walking towards his cabin. 

He bounded down the steps and opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off.

"I need you to teach me how to shoot," I looked him right in the eyes and tightened my lips.

He closed his mouth and looked at me strangely, as if I was some unknown creature that just crawled up his lawn. 

"Well I'm fine, thank you for asking," he laughed a little and looked down to drop his cigarette by his side. He put it out with the toe of his shoe.

When he turned his attention back to me though, his face changed. By this time, I was already holding back tears.

"Please, Popeye," I gulped.

He put his hands on my shoulders and tried reading my face. "Y/F/N, what's this about?" 

I couldn't hold it in anymore, so I let the tears fall down my cheeks and I put my hand over my mouth. 

Popeye took me in his arms and rubbed my back.

"Hey, it's okay, Y/F/N," he told me calmly. "Let it out."

I cried for what seemed like a long time. Regardless, he kept his hold on me and waited until I calmed down. 

When I did, he took a step back. "Why don't you come in for some coffee? Sound good?" 

I nodded in agreement and went in the log cabin with him.


	9. Part 9

I told him everything.

I told him how we moved into our new house after our honeymoon and met Betty. I even whined about how annoyingly happy she was everytime I saw her and how she seemed to be flirting with Shifty. 

I told him how Shifty's been spending a lot of time with her, even if I've only seen Sarah twice since the wedding when she'd visit her mom. I understood the need for space and liked being by myself or even with a friend, but it didn't sit right with me that he spoke to and was with Betty more than with me or any of his male friends combined. 

I told him that they were basically soul mates and that's why I believed learning how to shoot could ease him back to me. That maybe if we actually had something in common, he wouldn't turn to her. 

"Yeah, he'd stopped by occasionally, but not so much. I assumed it was because of work and all," Popeye took a sip from his enamel mug. 

"She's so much better than me and I'm about to lose the best thing in my life to her!" my voice broke.

This is probably the billionth time I cried, but Popeye was patient. He looked at me sympathetically and leaned in to touch my knee. "Hey, don't think like that." 

"How can I not? He even looks at her and talks about her like..." I bawled. "Almost like he did with me!"

Even he looked shocked by what I said.

He moved next to me on the bench and put his arm around my shoulder. "Hey, Y/F/N? I want you to listen to me for a sec."

I sniffed and ran my sleeves over my eyes before looking up at him.

"You're not gonna lose Shifty, okay? I know him and he's not like that. He's crazy about you, you know. He never stops talking about you. Never. Hell, I swear if I wasn't his best friend, I'd think he was insane!" 

I smiled and laughed a little. Popeye smiled too and rubbed my shoulder. 

"You know, I caught him starin' at you a lot. I saw him stop firing in Normandy for a brief second when you went out there."

"Before you got shot in the ass?" I teased.

"Before I got shot in the ass, yes," he chuckled. 

"You know what I said one time? I told him 'damn Shifty, just go talk to her!'"

"What'd he say?" 

"He was all shaking his head like, 'Oh no. No, I can't Popeye. She's so pretty'," Popeye put on his best Shifty impression.

"He did not say that," I scoffed.

"Oh, but he did! I wouldn't lie to ya," Popeye took another swig from his mug.

He turned serious again. "You need to trust me when I say he's not going anywhere. He would've stayed with you the whole time if he had a choice, I guarantee you."

"I wanted to talk to him about... _her_... but I don't want him to think I don't trust him. I do. I love him. It's just that I'm used to second-guessing people's motives," I put my hand over my head.

Popeye smiled sadly. "I think that's what's best. Confront him about it. He always wants to do the right thing, especially with you. He overthinks when it comes to what he should or shouldn't do. Like when he said to me once, 'I wanna tell her. I wanna tell her I love her, you know? But what if... what if she doesn't love me back? She might never talk to me again!'" 

Our type do tend to get preoccupied in our own thoughts. 

"That's a good idea," I finished my coffee. "Thanks, Popeye."

"Anytime," he stood up and picked our mugs up. "More coffee?"

"No, thanks," I got up from my seat too. "I'm gonna head home now."

"Okay," he caught me in a one-arm hug on my way off the porch.

I returned the gesture and went down the stairs, going the direction I came from.

"Hey, by the way...," I heard his voice farther away and turned on my heel to look at him. 

He had his hand on the door handle. "If you really want to learn how to shoot, I think you should learn from the best. Just saying."

"Good point," I told him with a nod and continued on my way home.

To calm my nerves, I smiled to myself thinking how Shifty would disagree with his best friend had he been with me to hear that. 

—

I was feeling confident about how I would handle things.

That was, until I was nearing my house and spotted Shifty and Betty standing across each other on our lawn, with him facing my direction. 

He looked worn out, one side of his shirt and face stained with dirt, scratching the back of his head as Betty expressed concern over something.

I suppose she does have another speaking voice other than one of constant excitement. 

Shifty, now smiling politely, seemed to be reassuring her. 

Coming closer, I saw her run her thumb over a smudge of dirt on his cheek.

He froze, mouth slightly open, his eyes on her hand. 

She said something, though I couldn't make it out, and brushed that same hand over his bicep.

I exhaled and quickened my pace.

"Shifty!" I called, masking my growing agitation. 

Betty quickly snapped her hand off him and whirled around to look at me.

"Oh hey, Y/F/N!" she put her hands together, bent her knees slightly, and jumped like a spring. 

I stormed right to Shifty and gave him a kiss on his clean cheek. I put my hand over his chest and looked at Betty.

"So what's this about?" I put my fake smile on. 

Coming back from his shock, Shifty put his arm around my side.

"J-Just... Betty needed some help with the yard. I, uh, was coming back from work, but it was nothing," he explained, gazing from me to her.

"Ahh," I kept my focus on her. "Well I'm glad he could lend a hand, Betty. We were just about to go in for supper, so if you'll excuse us—"

"Sure thing!" Betty said. "Now that my produce is collected, I think I'm ready for a meal myself!"

"Well, you have a nice night now," I waved her off.

Betty picked up the bucket of vegetables on her front yard and opened her door to go in. She looked over her shoulder at Shifty and winked, a flirtatious smirk etched across her freckled face.

I clutched at his t-shirt and looked up at him. He was smiling anxiously at her. 

I came in with the belief that I would settle things calmly and rationally. But after this exchange, it was as if everything Popeye told me was basically out of the equation.

"Shifty, we need to talk," I looked at him sternly.

Can you believe I said that?

He threw a confused glance my way, his head jolting back. "Everything alright, baby?"

Usually I'd find this adorable—even tell him so and give him a kiss—but I was ready to do anything but settle this peacefully. 

—

"Shifty, what the hell?" I darted my eyes to his after shutting the door behind me.

"Y/F/N, what's—"

"We've only been married for two years and you're already fading from me!"

I backed up against the wall and covered my mouth. Although Shifty went back to being motionless and just as lost, I was starting to surprise even myself.

"Y/F/N, I'm right here," he calmly told me, his brows furrowing. "I haven't... a single idea what you're talking about."

"BETTY!" I threw my hand up. "If you love her so goddamn much, you should've just married _her_!"

His eyes widened, mouth open. 

"My, Y/F/N, are you... are you _jealous_?" he blinked.

I felt my jaw tighten at that word. He spewed it at me like it was one of the most horrid things to be spoken by man. 

"No," my voice came out in a barely audible whisper. "I'm scared of losing you."

After a stinging silence, Shifty chuckled and put one hand on his hip, the other over his forehead. "You really think I'd do that?" 

I just stared at him, not knowing what to say.

"You think I'd throw away everything we've been through just for someone I barely know?" he asked, pointing to the direction of her house.

He didn't raise his voice, yet I knew just how upset he was. 

"Then why are you always with her?" my angst came firing back. "I know you need time away from me, but you don't even spend that much time with your other friends!" 

"Y/F/N, why does it matter if we're just friends?" Shifty looked at me bewildered. "And frankly, I can spend my time with whoever I darn well please!"

"What a load of crap!" I paced the living room. "I see the way you look at her. The way you talk to her. The way you talk _about_ her!"

"I'm just bein' nice," he looked down and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Can't I have someone to do my hobbies with?"

"That's not what the problem is, Shifty," I stepped closer to him. "It's her, okay? She's everything you could ever want. She's beautiful, she's bubbly, and she can do all the things you love to do. It doesn't help that you're never around anymore!"

"How can I be around when you're not even here?" Shifty snapped, still keeping his voice at an even volume. "You're gone the same time I leave, but you don't get back until later tonight."

I was about to speak.

"Even when you get home, you're too busy with your schoolwork," he continued. "I just wanted to let you be while you worked."

"You could've at least checked on me or be with me when I took my breaks," I huffed. "But I see she's more important than I am. Predictable. No one ever prefers me when there's a pretty girl involved."

Shifty stormed off into the kitchen and groaned. "Maybe there's a reason why, Y/F/N."

"Why wh—"

"Maybe the other girl isn't clingy. Maybe she actually trusts her spouse. Maybe she isn't self-absorbed!" he cut me off.

The air left my lungs and my feet got heavy, as if they were being weighed down by cinder blocks whilst I was chucked into a body of water. My vision started to blur and I was surprised I hadn't started crying until now.

"You know what? I may be clingy, but I just want to know how you are. So please excuse me for wanting to be a part of your life. That's why I married you. And you wanna know something, Shifty? I married you because I also trust you. I trust you with my life. I trust you with the most genuine side of me, no matter how ugly and unpleasant it gets. I trust that you still stay with me through it and try to understand the reasons for me being that way. I may be self-absorbed, but let me tell you that that's a result of nobody ever caring about me and learning overtime that, it's me who has to be there for myself. I'm tired of caring for people who couldn't care less about me," I yelled.

He stood there, unfazed by this. He stared at me the whole time, yet I couldn't even begin to guess what was going through his head. Maybe I didn't know him as well as I had thought.

I gulped back more tears and closed my eyes before looking at him again. "Day after day, I do nothing— _nothing_ —but give my love and devotion to others only to have them take until I am empty. It's hard for me to trust anyone anymore, but I trust Sarah. I trust my friends and aunt back home. I trust the men. I fucking trust you. And to have you look at me and think I'm incapable of such a thing is a slap in the face. Just like it is for you to push me aside—someone who's seen the hell you've been through—for an infinitely perfect, lighter, and fun version of me who we've only known for a few months."

I sniffed and wiped my tears to see Shifty looking more broken inside. I hated to do this to him, but as horrible as it sounded, I wanted him to feel pain like I have everytime he looked at Betty like she was the best thing in the world. 

After a moment's silence, I turned away from him and slipped my shoes back on.

"Where're you going?" his still gentle voice squeaked.

I looked over my shoulder at him. I could make out a tear flowing down his cheek. But I kept myself together.

"Not like you'd care," I mumbled and opened the door. 

With one foot outside, I sensed Shifty coming from the kitchen, saying, "Y/F/N, wait."

I didn't want to stick around anymore, so I quickly closed the door behind me to cut him off and jogged down the block away from our house. 

I didn't know where I was going, but I just wanted to be anywhere but there.

—

I cursed at myself for not bringing my old flashlight.

The sky was getting darker and only the streetlights were able to guide me to wherever I was aimlessly wandering to.

All was quiet until I heard a twig snap ten feet behind me.

I stopped dead in my tracks and contemplated whether or not I should look for the source. Somehow I felt as though I would regret it if I did.

I hadn't heard anything else, so I kept on walking. 

Except not too long after, I heard another branch break. This time I actually looked around.

My heart started racing when I saw the shadow of a man quickly duck behind a tree upon his detection. 

I only got halfway through my attempted escape when I felt a hand grab the back of my dress and jerk me back.

I tumbled onto the grass and screamed, disoriented. 

The person came into view, the streetlight allowing me to see that this guy had a knife.

It was a man in his late 20s to early 30s. He was tall and lean with short, dark hair and brown eyes.

He held his knife up from his side and looked down at me. 

"Give me all your jewelry," he demanded. 

I covered my locket with my hand and cried. The memory of how I'd gotten it flashed before my eyes—a moment when both Shifty and I were happy. 

"Hurry it up!" he pointed the knife at me. 

As I fumbled with the clasp at the back, I heard a gun cock above me.

"Drop the knife."

It was Shifty.

Moving it closer to my face, the man stepped on my foot so I couldn't crawl back. 

"How about you drop that and I won't hurt either of you?" 

"Not a chance," I heard Shifty's voice shake. 

He must have tried getting closer, because the man moved the blade down to my neck.

"You move, she's dead," he warned.

Two pairs of headlights shone at us. The doors of each car flew open.

I saw the sides bore the insignia of the Clinchco Police and let out a relieved sigh.


	10. Part 10

A pair of strong arms wrapped around me tight and kissed my head.

"I'm so sorry, baby," Shifty buried his face into my temple, his body quivering. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

I didn't say anything. I think I was still in shock from everything.

I looked up from the grass when I didn't feel his body heat surrounding me anymore.

"I'm still here, darlin'," he wrapped his Army jacket around me and rubbed my arm, holding me tighter and kissing my head. "I'm still here."

We gave our statements to the police and walked home soon after.

Once we got in the house, Shifty closed the door and turned to me.

I threw myself into him and cried again.

He pulled me away and put his hand on my cheek, using his thumb to swipe the salty droplets away.

I looked away and held onto the flaps of his jacket still around me.

"Y/F/N, I'm sorry," he said guiltily. 

"For what?" I sniffed.

"I'm sorry for not being there for you. I'm sorry for not seeing early on how much pain I caused. I'm sorry... f-for letting you go."

I stared at the holster on his hip that held the pistol he used to defend me.

"Funny, I thought I was being self-absorbed," I slipped his jacket off and hugged it to my stomach. 

"Baby, I didn't mean any of that," Shifty said apologetically. "Please look at me?"

I did and he tossed his jacket on the couch. He held my hands and kissed them, still not breaking eye contact. 

"Y/F/N... my, you're irreplaceable. Now that... that I'm sure of!" he told me, kissing up my arm.

"I was afraid of losing you," I looked to the side again. "I knew I should've just listened to Popeye when—"

Shifty lifted his head up to look at my face, his eyes slightly squinting. "Wait a minute. Now when did Popeye come over?"

I did a double take. "Oh... I went to see Popeye earlier today."

"Why?" Shifty searched my face for answers.

"It's stupid," I shook my head and covered my face with my hands.

"Hey...," he held my hands again and put his forehead to mine. "Just tell me, darlin'." 

"I went to see Popeye, because... I wanted to learn how to shoot," I confessed and finally met eyes with him. "I wanted to learn how to shoot so I could keep you. But we ended up talking... about you. I needed to know that you weren't going to leave me."

I squeezed my eyes shut and prepared for his response.

After a minute or two, I felt his lips over mine, his hands cupping my jawline.

I broke the kiss, my head about to drop again, but he caught my chin and held it up.

"Y/F/N, you always had me. You always had and you always will, baby. I promise," the ends of his mouth perked up.

I stood on the tip of my toes and hugged him. "I love you so much."

He snaked his arms around my waist and lifted me on to the armrest of the couch.

"You know what Popeye told me before I left?" I dragged my fingertip down his chest.

"What?" he wondered, partly amused, as he puts his hand over mine.

"He said to me that if I really wanted to learn how to shoot, I should learn from the best," I gave him a cheery grin.

The happiness started fading into confusion. "Me? Oh no, baby. I'm not the best. Now, you know who an excellent shot i—"

I leaned in and kissed him hard, which he seemed to enjoy since his grip around me tightened.

"You," I blushed. "You're an excellent shot."

He bit his lip and caressed my thighs. "Well I... I suppose I won't argue with that."

"Good," I pecked his cheek. 

"And you're an excellent wife," he declared.

I suddenly remembered what he said about me not being around. "Even if I can't be available all the time?" 

His face dropped a little.

Getting on the defensive, I explained. "I just wanted to help, Shifty. I don't want you to be the only one making money for us."

He lifted my hand and put it against his heart. "Everything you do, I love. I love that you care about me—about us—and that you're trying despite all the other things you already have to do."

It was nice to finally have that acknowledged. 

"So should I take extra hours at the coal company?" he asked.

"What? No!" I shook my head. "Why would you do that?"

"I want you to focus on your dreams, sweetheart," Shifty put his hand on my shoulder. "I... I don't want you to be even more stressed, you know?"

"Are you sure?" I played with the lace on the hem of my dress. "I don't want you to be stressed either."

He kissed my cheek. "Nothing I can't handle after... well... you know."

I nodded and put on a sad smile. "Yeah, I do."

Maybe I'll reconsider working after this semester in the near future.

Shifty kissed me hard, nearly pushing me back onto the couch. I grabbed at his sleeves to anchor myself and melted into him.

He pulled away, his eyes on my lips and then mine.

"I'm sorry, Y/F/N. It's just... I can't think about it again," he grabbed my hands and held them close to his chin.

"Think about what, Shifty?" I went in to kiss him again. 

Our lips reconnected as he pulled me to my feet.

"I can't... I can't think about how I nearly lost you," his eyes turned soft, almost desperate. 

I kissed him more. Harder, longer.

I felt my face warm up when his hands roamed down my back all the way over my ass. 

Letting the moment take me, I took a fistful of his shirt, my other hand running up the back of his neck, into his hair. 

We stopped for air and looked at each other, our hands staying where they were. High on endorphins and allowing ourselves to drown in the others' eyes, we laughed awkwardly. 

"I need to take a shower," I stepped away shyly.

As I walked away, his arms pulled me close to him again. 

"I wanna come with you," he mumbled into my neck.  
__

I put the water to the perfect balance of warmth and stood up straight to start undressing, but Shifty whirled me around with his hands on my hips.

He pressed his mouth over mine hungrily, his hands sneaking up to the middle of my back where he unbuttoned my dress. 

"Shifty," I sighed, his teeth nipping at my neck.

Halfway through, he got impatient and pulled the fabrics apart in an eager attempt to hasten the process.

I giggled when I heard a clink on the bathroom tiles. 

He didn't pay it any mind and hastily pulled the front of my dress out of the armholes and pulled it down my form, letting it fall to the floor. 

While I drowned in more kisses on my neck and face, I slid the hem of his t-shirt up his torso, my palm brushing lightly over his abs.

"Darlin’..." he crooned by my ear.

He put some space between us, grabbed the back of his collar, and pulled his t-shirt over his head while I undid the button on his pants and pulled the zipper down. 

I got on my knees and took his pants down along with his boxers. Without a second thought, I spit on his erection and started stroking it slowly.

Shifty let out a satisfied hum and closed his eyes.

From the base, I slid my tongue against the veiny surface. I swirled the tip around the head while watching his reaction.

He half-moaned, half-chuckled. "Oh, Y/F/N."

Stroking his cock in a circular motion, I focused on the head and massaged his balls.

"Y/F/N," his voice spiked. "You still have some clothes on."

I got up from the floor, feeling his body on the way up.

Shifty moved me against the wall and took my bra off.

He kissed my breasts and started getting down on one knee, kissing me all over. 

As he pulled my panties down, he kissed my sides where the waistline covered.

"Mmm, babe," I moaned as he felt up my thighs. "We better get in before the warm water runs out."

His face lit up as if he'd just remembered the water was on and stood back up. 

I went in and let myself get soaked, pushing my hair back and turning to face the showerhead so it could wet the front of me.

Shifty, following me in and closing the shower door behind him, already had his arms around my waist.

He kissed my neck from behind and slithered one hand down my stomach, the tips of his fingers over the hood of my clit.

I leaned my head back and opened my legs.

Seemingly pleased with his granted access, he nipped at my neck with his teeth. 

"Oh...," I moaned as he rubbed my clit.

My breasts were getting perky and my peak was rolling in.

"Shifty, yes... oh..." I closed my eyes as he brought me over the edge. "Oh!"

He gripped my breasts and left more kisses along my neck. 

I reached behind me and started jerking him off.

His breathing got heavier when I circled my thumb over the head.

I turned around and pushed him against the wall. I got on my knees, and sat on my heels to bring my ass up.

With the water trickling down my face, I took him between my lips and started bobbing my head up and down.

"Oh fuck...," he breathed.

I kept stroking his shaft and looked up at him, batting my eyelashes when he watched me. 

"Mm... mm... mm... mmmmh," I moaned with his hardened member going in and out of my throat.

His hand on the side of my neck, he tipped my head back and pecked my lips and head.

"I need to taste you," he told me with a lustful glint in his eye.

He took my hand and helped me up. I backed up against one of the tile walls.

Shifty got down on the shower floor, looped his hands around my thighs, and buried his face between my legs.

I gasped and curled my toes as he dragged his flattened tongue over my slit, starting at the bottom. He narrowed it when he reached the very top. 

Looking up at me rubbing my breasts, his right hand disappeared from my leg. It had almost gone unnoticed that his arm was not only to his side, but slightly shaking. 

"Ohhh..." I moaned, pinched my nipples, and raked the hair of one side of my head up. 

For some reason, he liked when I did this. The thing with my hair, I mean. Going off our past fucks, he also liked when I gave my bosom a lift by crossing my arms underneath. 

I did that and licked my lips when his arm moved faster. 

He parted my lips and drew a zigzag with the very tip of his tongue over my clit before sucking on it. 

On the verge of my second orgasm, he quickened his pace and finished me off. 

While I was still recovering, he tugged at the folds with his lips before getting up.

His hands grabbed my ass and pulled me up.

I put my arms around his neck and wrapped my legs around his waist. 

Holding me up against the wall, he reached down to adjust the head of his cock into my entrance. 

I kissed him hard when his entire length had slipped between my walls slowly.

My lips still connected to his, he moved himself in and out of me. 

"Baby..." he murmured as he kept penetrating me, his hold on me tensing up.

I brushed some wet strands of hair from his forehead and bit down on my lip, my back rubbing against the cold tiles as I bounced myself on him.

God, he felt so fucking good.

"Oh, Shifty..." I breathlessly moaned.

He buried his face into my neck and thrusted his hips faster and harder inside me. 

"Fuck, darlin'," his voice sounded more strained now.

With my fingers through the hair on the back of his head, I arched my back and hopped erratically up and down his manhood. 

"I've been waiting to do this for so long, Y/F/N," he confessed, our heads touching and our lips less than an inch apart. "There's no one in this world I think of more than you, darlin'."

I blushed and left kisses on his cheek and neck.

My walls were squeezing around his erection and my heels were digging deeper above his ass.

"Shifty, I'm gonna cum," I purred. "Fuck, I'm gonna cum all over you!"

"Cum with me, darlin'," he grunted. "Baby, I'm so close."

"Oh! Ohhh! OHHH!" I screamed and shook against his body while my movements slowed down.

At the same time, I felt his warm cum seeping into me.

He left soft kisses along my neck and shoulder. "You're so beautiful, Y/F/N."

Coming down from the wave of bliss that washed over me, I felt my eyes dot with tears. I got on my feet again and ran my hands over his pecs. I looked up at him and kissed him passionately as he held my hips.

"You're... everything," I looked away as the tears fell down my cheeks.

He brought my chin up and kissed my lips for a long time before kissing my cheek, nose, and head. After a few minutes spent staring into each other’s eyes, he spoke.

"Let's get ourselves cleaned up," he smiled sweetly and reached for his shampoo.

"Right..." I nodded and started with my hair.

We lathered up each other’s bodies and stood under the water, giving the other kisses over the newly washed areas.

Once we were done, I turned the water off and squeezed my hair. 

"Thanks, babe," I accepted the towel he handed me and dried myself before covering myself with it. 

He ruffled his hair with his towel wrapped hand and looked over at me, smiling big.

"What?" I wondered when I saw this.

"You're so gorgeous, darlin'," he chuckled as if it was silly that I hadn't guessed that.

I followed him into our bedroom and changed into a red and black babydoll with matching panties. 

"You look like a princess," he told me from our bed.

I stood by my side of the bed and spun around to show it off to him.

He gave me his wide grin and took my hand when I crawled under the sheets next to him.

"I've... I've never felt so much love for someone like I do with you," he told me before kissing my hand.

I moved closer to him and rested my head on his chest. "How did I get so lucky?"

"I ask myself that every night when I watch you sleepin', lookin' like an angel," he put his chin over the top of my head and traced a heart on my bare back. "Sleep tight, Y/F/N."

"Goodnight, Shifty," I yawned and closed my eyes.  
__

One Year Later

I watched fondly at the baby in front of me.

He had a tan complexion, Y/H/C, and grey eyes.

I giggled when the little one cooed with glee after he put one building block over another.

"What's so funny?" Shifty came into the room and sat behind me, his arms snaked around my waist.

"Robert being adorable," I turned to kiss my husband on the lips and looked back at the baby. "Just like his father."

"You mean his mother?" he corrected. 

I smiled to myself. "Yeah... like me."

Yes, we named him after Popeye. I used to joke that he saved our marriage, after all.

Robert crawled to one of our dressers and pulled the wooden knob.

I laughed amusedly and got up from my spot on the floor.

"Come on, sweetie," I swept him into my arms and kneeled to close the drawer.

I stopped when I saw what was lying there.

It was Shifty's uniform, neatly folded with his jump wings pinned above the right breast pocket.

I came back to reality when I felt Robert try to climb out of my arms.

I smiled and kissed his head before toeing the drawer shut and bringing him back to Shifty. 

Later that night, after we'd tucked Robert in, I brought the subject up when we were lying in bed.

"When do you think we should tell him?" I held Shifty's hand, which was on my cheek.

He took some time to process this and looked at me again. "I think we'll know when the time's right."

I thought it through and agreed. "Yeah. He's still young. Plus, we're not _that_ old yet."

Shifty kissed my cheek. "Don't worry, darlin'. We're still figuring this out together."

I closed my eyes and smiled. "Together."


End file.
